A new study has offered evidence of the considerable impact that reducing cholesterol intake and blood pressure rates can have on a person's heart disease risk.

Research from Wayne State University School of Medicine analysed genetic and cardiovascular risk factor data from 102,773 individuals who had participated in 14 existing studies.

The patients' level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (often referred to as "bad" cholesterol) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured. Compared to the reference group, subjects in the lower LDL-C group had a 54.2 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, while those in the lower SBP group had a 44.7 per cent lower risk.

Meanwhile, those in the combined lower LDL-C and SBP group had an 86.1 per cent lower risk of heart disease, showing that these factors combine to offer a greater benefit than either one alone.

This shows it is potentially possible to largely eliminate the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease through modifiable factors.

Dr Brian Ference from Wayne State University School of Medicine said: "The results of our study confirm that cardiovascular disease is largely preventable and suggest that this prevention can be substantially simplified by focusing on programmes that promote long-term exposure to the combination of both lower LDL and lower SBP."